Valparaiso’s men’s golf team improved by seven strokes from round one to round two and finished in eighth place overall at the Dayton Fall Invitational which concluded on Tuesday at the NCR Country Club South Course in Kettering, Ohio.

The Crusaders shot 308 as a team in round two, the day’s sixth best round, and moved up two positions in the overall standings with a 623 total.  Valpo finished six strokes behind seventh place IPFW and one shot ahead of Robert Morris (Pa.).

Evansville won the team title at 591 (292-299), three shots ahead of IUPUI.

Kyle Henning (Brookfield, Wis./East H.S.) led the way for the Brown and Gold for the second straight day, carding a two-over par 73 on the 7,055-yard, par-71 layout.  He finished at 149 overall and tied for 11th place.  Henning, a freshman, concluded the fall with the team’s low stroke average at 74.3.

Thomas Wettstein (Neenah, Wis./Xavier H.S.) and Andy Webb (Bedford, Ind./North Lawrence H.S.) both posted 77s on day two to match the team’s second best round.  Wettstein finished the tournament second overall for the Crusaders at 157 while Webb improved 11 shots from the opening round to finish at 165.

Brad Winters (Elgin, Ill./Saint Edward H.S.) and Austin Gaugert (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger H.S.) added 81s each.  Winters finished at 159 while Gaugert shot 162 after shooting 81 in each round.

Michael Davan of IUPUI won the individual title at 145 (71-74), a shot ahead of three other golfers.

Valparaiso will now take the winter off and return to the course next spring for the championship season.